use of intracellular H3 messenger RNA as a marker to determine the proliferation pattern of normal and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-transformed hamster oral epithelium

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 50; no. 16; pp. 5107 - 5111
• Main Authors: WONG, D. T. W, MING YUNG CHOU, LONG-CHANG CHANG, GALLAGHER, G. T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15.08.1990
• Subjects: 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Animal tumors. Experimental tumors; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - chemically induced; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Cell Division - drug effects; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cheek; Cricetinae; DNA Probes; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium - drug effects; Experimental head and neck tumors. Experimental orbital tumors; Histones - genetics; Medical sciences; Mesocricetus; Mouth Mucosa - cytology; Mouth Mucosa - drug effects; Mouth Neoplasms - chemically induced; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Tumors; Cell proliferation; Molecular hybridization; In situ; Rodentia; Biological marker; Malignant tumor; Oral cavity; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Cell line; Gene; Animal; ENT disease; Tumor; Molecular probe; Diagnosis; Hamster; Histone H3; Nuclear protein
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

One of the major goals in cancer research and diagnosis is to identify in a tissue the population of actively dividing cells and their pattern of growth and to differentiate the proliferation patterns of normal and transformed tissues. We now describe a method for determining the proliferation pattern of any tissue (normal, diseased, or transformed), applicable in any mammalian species. This method is based on the fact that the transcription of histone H3 gene in mammalian cells is tightly coupled to DNA synthesis during cellular division. Resting cells or cells that just exited the cell cycle will have no detectable H3 mRNA. The presence of H3 mRNA in a cell is thus a good indicator of its proliferation status. We carried out in situ hybridization of H3 mRNA in hamster oral epithelia exhibiting a variety of altered growth patterns as a consequence of exposure to the chemical carcinogen, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene to demonstrate the usefulness of this technique. This application does not require in vitro manipulation of tissues nor does it require the prior administration of a tracer. The proliferation pattern at a single moment in time instead of an accumulated pattern over a period of time is produced. Finally, since the technique of in situ hybridization can be applied to archival tissues, retrospective studies can be done. This application should find usefulness in a wide variety of experimental research settings, particularly cancer research.